Dear Participants,

We hope that our first post inspired you! We try to keep it short, yet compelling. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. 

Today, we will focus on the following Work of Mercy: to give water to the thirsty

From the Old Testament:

"The wilderness and the parched land will exult; the Arabah will rejoice and bloom; [...]For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the Arabah. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water;" Isaiah 35, 1-7

"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered"- Proverbs 11:25 ESV

From the New Testament:

"On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'" He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive." John 7, 37-39

From the Saints' life:

Frederic Ozanam: He put great emphasis on the personal encounter with the needy, moved by the desire to break their loneliness and isolation. In each person with whom he interacted, he found a reflection of Christ. Frederic and his companions volunteered to work with a nun, Daughter of Charity Sister Rosalie Rendu. She guided them in their visits to the abandoned and the forgotten and advised them on providing the needy with material assistance. 

John Paul II: while we cannot summarize his pontificate in a few words, we chose here to focus on the World Youth Days he established: these events brought together thousands of young people from all around the world, allowing them to experience intense moments of communion, of faith renewal, and of vocation birth. 

Ivan Merz: as a young man who lived the horrors of WWI, and influenced by his meditations and his studies, he recognized the truthfulness of the Christian faith. He devoted all his free time to the education of Croatian youth within a Catholic organization. He implanted his love for Christ and dedication into all with whom he came in contact. 

Thérèse of Lisieux: when Little Thérèse heard about Pranzini, a remorseless murderer sentenced to death, she decided to pray for the conversion of this man, whom she called "her first sinner". She prayed relentlessly, day and night, and begged the Lord to have mercy on Pranzini's soul while asking for just one sign of repentance. 

Let's give Thérese the opportunity to finish the story with her own words: 

"The day after the execution I hastily opened the paper... and what did I see? Tears betrayed my emotion; I was obliged to run out of the room. Pranzini has mounted the scaffold without confessing or receiving absolution, and...turned around, seized the crucifix which the Priest was offering to him, and kissed Our Lord's Sacred Wounds three times... I had obtained the sign I asked for, and to me, it was especially sweet. Was it not when I saw the Precious Blood flowing from the Wounds of Jesus that the thirst for souls first took possession of me? ... My prayer was granted to the letter."